Grenade throwing tube



' Feb. 7, 1939. w. GIBBONS 2,145,811

GRENADE THROWING TUBE Filed Aug. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fill/6711 07 I I Way: 5155072 yfl/m 4/Z r7zey W. GIBBONS Feb. 7, 193% GRENADE THROWING TUBE Filed Aug. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 We rze Gziorza fizl efifor fifforizg Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to throwing tubes for grenades, but more particularly to a throwing tube wherein the fuse cap of the grenade is ignited and the grenade released by centrifugal force on operation of a manually controlled latching mechanism.

One object of the .invention is to provide a throwing tube which increases the range and the accuracy with which the grenade may be thrown.

Another object of the invention is to provide a throwing tube which may be safely transported and handled without danger of accidental discharge of the grenade.

Still another object is to provide an improved throwing tube having few working parts and one which may be easily and cheaply manufactured.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, to be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawingin which corresponding parts are indicated by-similar reference characters- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the throwing tube;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the throwing tube partially in section, showing both the construction of the tube and an improved type of grenade which may be used therewith;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the grenade chamber and stem;

Fig. 4 is a sectionized view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the striker and release spring;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the striker arm lever;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the grenade release lever;

Fig. 8 is a sectionized view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 9 is an end view of the assembled grenade throwing tube.

Briefly stated, the throwing tube comprises a grenade chamber I, which may be formed of 50 seamless alloy steel tubing, the chamber being constricted at one end to form a stem 2 for the attachment of a handle 3. The grenade chamber is longitudinally corrugated, as indicated by the numeral 4 in Fig. 2, to reduce frictional contact with the grenade 5 and to prevent fouling with dirt, and to thereby provide an uninterrupted smooth path over which the grenade can slide when being thrown by the operator.

At the rear .of the grenade chamber I are mounted bracket members 8 and "6', which supporta striker and a release mechanism, rotatably mounted on a. shaft I which is held by the brackets in a normal position to the longitudinal axis of the grenade thrower. On the shaft I are rotatably mounted a weighted striker arm lever B and a grenade release lever 9.

The striker mechanism comprises a curved striker arm lever having a longitudinal rectangular opening -Iii forming lateral bearing members I I and II on either side thereof which are drilled at I2 and I2 for the reception of the shaft I. At the forward end of the lever is formed a weight arm I3 and at other end a striker arm or hammer I4 provided with a striker pin I5. The strikerarm or hammer I l projects through the forward portion of opening IS in the stem 2, with the striker pin I5 positioned behind the cap I! of the grenade 5,'so that when the inertia-of the weight arm 13 rotates it outward from the grenade chamber the hammer I 4 will move the striker pin I5 forward against the cap ll of the grenade 5. It will'be noted that the striker arm lever 8 is fulcrumed nearer the extremity of the hammer I4 to proportionately increase the length of the weight arm I3 and thus provide sufficient force to the movement of the striker pin to ignite the fuse cap-I1 of the grenade 5.

The shaft 1 also provides a fulcrum for the releasing lever 9 which iscentrally pivoted thereon and provided at its forward end with a normally vertically disposed lug I8, adapted to project through the opening I9 in the grenade chamber I and to engage a circular groove Zil, in the exterior surface of the grenade 5, and thus retain the latter within the chamber I.

A coil spring 2| encircles the shaft I and is at tached at one end to the striker arm I 4 of the weighted striker arm lever 8, and at the other end to the grenade release lever 9. This spring is adapted to operate the release lever as will be further described.

In the forward portion of the stem 2 is mounted a manually operated latching member comprising a central shaft 22, at one end of which is formed a normally projecting contact arm 23, and at the other end is attached a knurled roller 24. The central shaft 22 of the latching member is rotatably mounted within a longitudinal bearing 25 attached to the inner surface of the stem 2, so that the periphery of the knurled roller 24 parl a primerSO and a fuse 3L fastened permanently within the grenade.- As

tially projects through the opening 26 in the handle. 7

vided with a fuse'assembly 29, which consists of This fuse assembly is the grenade ruptures easily alongthe lines determined. by ,theposition of the shrapneLthe costly high explosive filler may be reduced without impairing its effectiveness. This type of grenade A ay also, beshipped fused, and can be handled in the same manner as ammunition for theservice rifle and pistol. I I I p In the operation of the throwing tube the con- 7 tact arm 23 is moved out of the path of thegrenade release lever B by rotation of the knurled .roller 24, the tube is swung in an are starting I from the vertical and terminatesatthe angle determined by the range; Inertia acting on the e weighted striker arm lever 8 actuates the ham- I I mer thereby causing the striker pin torupture the cap I]. As the hammer moves to its firingposition the lever B- is operatedto release the grenade.

Inthis operation it will be noted that the inertia of the weight arm 8. first increasesthe angle betweenthe striker arm 14 and the rear arm of the release lever 9, thus putting the coil spring2 under tension, and as the spring tends to resume its normal position it raises theforward arm of the releaselever 9, extracts the lug l8 from the circular groove 20in the grenade and releases the same from the chamber I.

When the throwing tube is not in useit may be i carried with its grenade chamber pointing downward, so that the weight arm l3 overhangs the arm of the release lever 9 provided with the projecting lug l8. In this position the weight arm retains the lug 18 within the circular groove in the grenade 5, thus providing a safety factor against accidental release and also firing of the grenade, since in order to release and fire the same the weight arm must be thrown back from the outer wall of the grenade chamber 5.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A grenade throwing tube comprising in combination a corrugated grenade chamber adapted to receive a circumferentially grooved grenade, a stem, a handle attached to said stem; a firing mechanism comprising a weighted bell-crank lever provided with a hammer and a firing pin; a grenade release mechanism comprising a centrally fulcrumed lever, one arm of which is provided with a lug adapted to engage the circumferential groove in said grenade, a coil spring, attached at its ends to the firing mechanism and the releasing mechanism adapted to resiliently couple vice adapted to control the operation of said releasing mechanism.

2. A grenade throwing tube comprising in comi bination a corrugated grenade chamber, open at said bearing chamber anda shaft supported by saidbrackets; a stem formed at the other end of said chamber, a handle attachedto said stem; a firing mechanism comprising a weighted bellcrank lever, formed with a hammer member supporting a striker pin, and provided with lateral bearing members drilledforrotatable mounting on said shaft, a grenade release mechanism comthe same, and a manually operated latching deprising a centrally fulcrumed lever, one arm of r g which is provided with a lug adapted to engage the circumferential groove in said grenade, a coiled spring around said shaft adapted to resiliently couple the firing mechanism and the releasing mechanism, and amanually operated latching device adapted to control the operation of said releasing mechanism.

3. A grenade throwing tube comprising in com-' bination a corrugated grenade chamber adapted to receive a circumferentiallygrooved grenade, a

stem, a handle attached to said stem, a firing mechanism comprising a weighted bell-crank lever providedwith a hammer and a firing pin; a grenade release mechanism comprising a cen vided with a lug adapted to engage the circumferential groove in. said grenade, a coil spring attached at its ends to the firing mechanism and. e e e the releasing mechanism adapted to resiliently :couple the same, and a manually operated latching device comprising a rotatable shaftprovided with manually rotated roller and a contact arm adapted to releasably engage said releasing mech- I anism.

4. A grenade throwing tube comprising in combination a corrugated grenade chamber open at one end and provided with an opening in its wall, said chamber being adapted to receive a circumferentially grooved grenade, a stem, a handle attached to said stem; 2. firing mechanism comprising a bell-crank lever provided with a weight arm and a hammer supporting a firing pin; a grenade release mechanism comprising a centrally fulcrumed lever, one arm of which lies intermediate the weighted arm of said firing mechanism and the outer surface of said grenade chamber, said arm being provided with a normally disposed lug adapted to project through said opening in the wall of the grenade to engage the circumferential groove in said grenade; a coil spring attached at its ends to the firing mechanism and the releasing. mechanism adapted to resiliently couple the same, and a manually operated latching device adapted to control the operation of said releasing mechanism.

WAYNE GIBBONS.

30 trally fulcrumed lever, one arm of whichis pro- 

